Need help choosing breed!

Hi all! I've been searching the internet quite a bit, looking at forums and such for ideas on breeds, and cross breeds.
I've gotten quite mixed reviews.
I was wondering if any of you could help me out.
I am looking for a breed that has little shedding, is a medium sized dog, and is a good family dog?
I am fine with crossbreeds and such, unless people really don't recommend them. I'm looking for all the advice I can get!
Thank you all!

APBT or staffy bull

There are so many needing adoption , just keep looking ! All dogs shed to some exempt though .

Do you have/plan to have other pets?
What exercise requirements are you able to meet?

As Pops said an American Pit Bull Terrier or mix with that breed would be a great family dog, they are medium sized (40-50 pounds usually) and while they shed normally their fur is very short so less noticeable than say a Golden Retriever's or even a Lab's.

However they are not always good with other animals due to their original uses and require a good deal of exercise. however a 3 year old (or older) dog from the shelter who is already known to be good with other animals or has proven himself to be laid back would be a good option as well. By this age their full, mature temperament is usually already there so there will be no surprises later.

What state are you in (if in the USA)? I'll look around petfinder for all sorts of dogs that fit what you are looking for and PM them to you if you'd like.

We don't have any other pets, and we just plan on getting a dog.
We live in canada, and we will be able to exercise atleast 1-2 times a day.


We have been looking in the SPCA's, since if we can find a dog there a home, we'd be more than glad to.

And I will check out the Amercian pit bull terrier. You guys have been much help

I like wheaten terriers.

In Canada somewhere without BSL I hope? I love bully breeds. Sadly I'm in Ontario.

Yes the American Pit Bull Terrier is banned in Ontario so if you live there you'll have to find a different type I'm afraid.

Try selecting a breed and let us know what the results are.

Animal Planet :: Guides :: Dog Breed Selector

My mom has adopted most of her dogs and shedding is an issue with her. She looks for poodle crosses that have poodle like fur. It falls out in clumps and is easy to pick up and it doesn't fall out that much.

Most terrier breeds are going to have easier to care for types of coats, though really, the amount of shedding a dog does depends a lot on how often the dog is brushed, bathed and what type of food they're on. The better the quality of food, the less shedding you'll have to deal with. Keeping up on brushing, maybe getting them blown-out with a high-powered dryer during shedding season, also helps tremendously.

Due to the "doodle" fad that is going on right now, there are plenty of "doodle mixes" sitting in rescues and shelters. Some were dumped because they shed some, some were dumped because people didn't realize that poodles are retrievers, goldens and labs are retrievers and so mixing those two breeds together tend to produce a pretty active dog. Some were dumped because they didn't realize that mixing dogs together means size can be a crap shoot. Most of the time there is very little "wrong" with these dogs beyond needing basic obedience training.

Poodle/Maltese/Havenese/Bicon or a mix of these. No shedding at all. Low energy, low maintanance. Although many dog lovers do not consier these 'real dogs'.

Also Greyhound/Whippets if you are more active and can take the dog for runs.

Then there's Doodles which are really GOOD GUYS! You just have to pic them very carefully due to their coat. The pick of the litter will cost you a bunch. Our neighbour has one. They are actually pretty sizeable.

Is he a good boy?

Oh yes he sure is.

But if you have a family just get a Bichon and I promise you, you will not regret it and can have them for very low prices. Pick the one with the lowest energy of the litter and you'll do fine.

Here's a video YouTube - My Book Dedicated to Suri Cruise

The OP asked for medium sized dogs... Which would be in the 50-60lb range and only a standard poodle would fit that.

Instead of recommending only dogs you'd have as the only dogs anyone should ever have maybe start expanding your mind and notice there are other breeds out there that would fit other people much better than the dogs you personally like.

Poodles are also not "low energy", especially standards, they need tons of mental stimulation and usually need a few short walks every day. Also none of those breeds are "low maintanance". They're actually very high maintainance due to needing to be groomed at least once a month which is also very costly if you get it done by a professional groomer, or very time consuming if you decide to be a do it yourselfer (and that can end up more costly too if you need a professional groomer to fix up a hack job!).

You've owned one dog, you're not an expert. You don't work in the pet industry, you're not a trainer, or a groomer, or a vet, or a tech, or even a common pet owner. I know common pet owners, i deal with them every day, you are not one. You're an ignorant person who fails to absorb any intelligent information from experienced people.

Wow, that was an...interesting...video.

Good post.

A well bred Golden Retriever might be a good choice for you, Stose. A well bred Golden can be a lovely first pet.

I have a Border collie, it's kinda hard to train her at first but I gradually learn how to give her proper care and understand her behavior when I read about this How to Train a Border Collie , just an advice, if you're really a dog lover, you will definitely know what patience really means. (grins)

Greyhound?

And these are exactly the people that will lead you down the wrong path and recommend Pit Pull's when someone says they are planning on having a baby and want a dog. (despite that girl getting killed last month). These people will recommend herding breeds for people living in apartments (other forum.. not this one).

That is the major problem in the dog world. The majority of people are mainstream, but the internet has been taken over by vocal extremists.

If you want a safe bet for a mainstream family, choose one of my recommended breeds.

If you want to possibly be led down the wrong path, then by all means take a chance and get your Beagle and then see what happens. Go get your Husky and see what happens. Go get your St. Bernard and see how you like it.

Then when the dog is back at rescue, you'll say 'gee I should have listened to him' and the enthusiests will keep recommending Pit Bulls with baby's in the house etc and St. Bernards that don't drool and that are active to mainstream dog owners and even TEENAGERS lol..

But anyhow, the choice is the origional posters.

Of course you skip the downside to owning this dog.

Just curious... what does this video have to do with anything? I'm confused.